Brief Cost Analysis of Surgical Personal Protective Equipment During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
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| Institution: | 1. Peter J. O''Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA;2. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA;3. Department of Economics, Statistics, and Sociology, RAND Corporation, Arlington, VA, USA;4. Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA |
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| Abstract: | ObjectivesThis study aimed to compare the costs incurred and saved from universal use of N95 respirators with surgical masks for operating room providers in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe built a decision analytic model to compare direct medical costs of healthcare workers (HCWs) infected with COVID-19 during operating room procedures from expected transmission when using an N95 respirator relative to a surgical mask. We also examined quarantine costs.ResultsResults varied depending upon prevalence and false-negative rates of tests, but if N95 respirators reduce transmission by 2.8%, prevalence is at 1%, and testing yields 20% false negatives, providers should be willing to pay an additional $0.64 per HCW for the additional protection. Under this scenario, approximately 11 COVID-19 cases would be averted among HCWs per day.ConclusionsPotential savings depend on disease prevalence, rate of asymptomatic patients with COVID-19, accuracy of testing, the marginal cost of respirators, and the quarantine period. We provide a range of calculations to show under which conditions N95 respirators are cost saving. |
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| Keywords: | healthcare worker personal protective equipment surgery decision analysis |
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